


Wings

by WindChime



Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Song Lyrics, Stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 15:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4025542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindChime/pseuds/WindChime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Sunlight comes creeping in<br/>Illuminates our skin<br/>We watched the day go by<br/>Stories of what we did<br/>It made me think of you<br/>It made me think of you)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by  
> Song: Wings  
> Artist: Birdy  
> If you want the proper feels, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v2_VQxUxmc

(Sunlight comes creeping in

Illuminates our skin

We watched the day go by

Stories of what we did

It made me think of you

It made me think of you)

 

When Haru woke up one morning, he was greeted by a sight of Makoto’s bare back. His best friend was standing tall by the big glass door of their apartment, facing away from the bedroom and into the sleepy city below.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Haru rose from the clean white sheets in that manner of a cat. The cool air beyond the warmth of his blanket made him shiver the most pleasant yet lonely way. He stifled a yawn while staring at the sight that was Makoto Tachibana, who was clad in a pair of gray sweatpants.

Haru stilled his movement and stared.

Outside, the sun was just peeking above the skyline, creating a soft ray of golden light which defined the muscles of Makoto’s broad back. Makoto shifted softly into a stance where his hair almost looked blonde, and then went still with his left hand flat against the glass door. At that moment, Makoto was the most beautiful sight Haru had ever seen.

He held his breath, unable to call out to the person he was so familiar with. Makoto looked so… content. So bright. So peaceful. The room was silent, and all Haru could hear was a faint sound of a clock ticking somewhere outside their room, presumably from the kitchen. He couldn’t even hear Makoto’s breathing, but could see the way the light moved with every rise and fall of Makoto’s body.

In that split second, Haru felt so full of happiness he could die.

Then Makoto turned around, light framing his face and shining through strands of his hair. His sleepy green eyes looked straight at Haru.

For a minute, they only stared at each other.

With a tilt of his head, Makoto’s face widened into a soft, comforting smile.

“Good morning, Haru-chan.”

Haru sighed with a small smile of his own.

“Drop the -chan.”

* * *

(Under a trillion stars

We danced on top of cars

Took pictures of the stage

So far from where we are

They made me think of you

They made me think of you)

 

The night was supposed to be cold, but Makoto was determined to see the rare meteor shower with Haru no matter what. He’d overheard it on the radio earlier in the morning while walking pass an old convenience store, and couldn’t get it out of his mind for some reason.

When he got to class, he put on his glasses and listened to his professor. An hour later, he began dozing off like many other students. Then Makoto remembered the time when they were stuck on the island during the training camp, and the way Haru’s eyes sparkled in the light. Smiling to himself, he came to the conclusion that he probably wanted to see it again.

When lunch time arrived, he pulled out his phone and texted Haru. Now, he knew that Haru’s break started fifteen minutes after his own, so he didn’t bother with the reply right away. Instead, he went and looked for the best spots they could watch it together on his laptop while munching on the lunch Haru made.

Half an hour later, just when he was getting worried, his phone screen lit up.

 

_okay. I finish at four today, so see you then._

_and seriously, drop the -chan._

 

Makoto giggled.

 

After school, Makoto waited for Haru by the gates of his university as per usual. Five minutes after, he spotted the dark blue tuft of hair walking toward him. He began to call out but stopped when he saw that Haru was not alone.

By Haru’s side was a tall man who towered over everyone in the crowd. He was clearly a foreigner, judging from his blonde hair and blue eyes. The guy was chatting away to Haru, who was staring out in the distance, seemingly uninterested in anything the man was saying. However, the man kept on talking, either oblivious to the sign or not taking it to heart. He even looped an arm around Haru’s shoulder.

Makoto’s heart dropped. All of a sudden, he found it hard to focus on anything else but the sight of the two of them standing there together. His chest clenched when he spotted the rise in Haru’s eyebrows, and even from afar, he could tell that Haru was smirking. _Smirking_. Something he rarely ever did unless he was interested.

Whatever the guy was saying, Haru was interested.

The blonde said something with a determined look on his face, and immediately, Haru looked annoyed… annoyed but intrigued, Makoto noted. Haru responded, probably with something sassy, and walked away from the man toward Makoto.

“Sorry,” Haru said when he got to Makoto’s side. “He was rambling on and on…”

“Who was that?” Makoto blurted out, tone a tad harsher and urgent than he had in mind. Haru raised an eyebrow but answered.

“A guy from the swim team. An exchange student from Australia.”

“Hmm,” Makoto hummed, trying to sound normal and casual to make up for his earlier mistake. “You guys seem to get along well.”

“Not really,” Haru said. “We’ve met in Australia when Rin took me to the stadium. But we don’t really talk.”

“Oh. So what were you guys talking about?”

Haru pursed his lips. “...Nothing.”

  
  


They went to their favorite ramen stand and have what they usually did. Then they went back to their apartment to grab more clothing since they heard that it was going to get colder that night. Haru ended up taking a warm bath while they were at it, and Makoto chewed away half of his pencil thinking about the exchange student and Haru together while sitting in front of the TV.

At ten thirty, they put on their boots and headed out the door. They walked to the town square Makoto deemed to be the best place to see the stars, but were surprised by the amount of people there. To their displeasure, these people were whipping out their phones, texting and calling someone like they were afraid of being alone even for a moment. The light toxin was just too much, so Haru suggested that they walked to the park over the hills. Makoto agreed right away.

They arrived there at eleven forty. There were a lot fewer people, maybe a few by the bench and a couple by the swings, but all in all they had the privacy they wanted. There were barely any lamps in the park, so it was fairly dark. In addition, these people were less rowdy, and none of them took out their phone to snap pictures or text someone. They all wanted to be there to see the stars, not to Instagram it.

Haru began to sneeze but brushed off any attempt to keep himself warm. After a moment of arguing, Makoto wrapped his scarf around Haru’s neck (as usual), and guided the smaller man to a bench in the darker corner of the park. They settled down side by side, Makoto offering a can of warm coffee to Haru, then he smiled contentedly at the “clack” sound the can made when it was opened.

White heat curled up from the can. Haru sipped his coffee in peace. They waited for the meteor shower to start at any moment now.

“Makoto,” Haru said quietly, drawing Makoto’s attention from the sky. “Earlier today… with David…”

Makoto felt like he was slapped in the face. The silence between them tensed, but then Haru released a small “oh” and looked up. Makoto followed his gaze to the night sky and spotted a bright line breaking through the sky. Then another. Then another. Haru looked at them, the earlier conversation forgotten.

It was raining stars.

However, Makoto’s heart could not settle. He tore his eyes away from the star and looked at Haru instead. Haru, who almost looked like a child in this fleeting moment, with his red-tinged cheeks and wide, sparkling eyes like the sky above. He looked beautiful. He looked gorgeous. He looked happy. Makoto wanted to take a photo of his face right then and there, to capture the moment, but decided against it. He didn’t need that. He would probably remember this sight for the rest of his life. When he grew old, when death came, this would be the last thing he remembered.

His precious Haru showered by a trillion falling stars.

...But at the same time, Haru looked like a little boy who was about to disappear at any second.

Makoto shuddered at that thought. Children always grew up faster than anyone could expect, and then they let go of the hands they held. Haru looked just like that. As though he would grow wings and fly away.

To ease his irregularly beating heart, Makoto reached for Haru’s free hand and gripped it tight. His squeeze was returned by Haru’s lighter touch.

“What were you saying earlier, Haru?”

Haru glanced at him - a fascinated smile tucked at the corners of his lips - and replied.

“It can wait.”

* * *

(Oh lights go down

In the moment we’re lost and found

I just wanna be by your side

If these wings could fly)

 

They stumbled into their apartment at around one in the morning, stripping clothes along the way. Now, normally, Haru would be sleepy and irritated by the mess they made, but tonight was special. He was feeling pretty good, after all. Makoto could still see the brilliance of that scene reflected in Haru’s eyes.

By the time they got to the bedroom, Haru was naked and Makoto was pulling his pants off. The faint lights of Tokyo which reached into their room seemed to have faded with the night, illuminating them with flashes of colours. Makoto approached Haru, roughly grabbed him by his shoulder, and before Haru knew it, his back hit the cool mattress. He breathed under Makoto’s gaze, dark and unreadable for a moment, before it turned gentle again.

“I love you, Haru. I love you very much,” he whispered huskily. Haru’s breathing hitched, but he moved his hands up to cup around Makoto’s face anyway. Makoto tensed shoulders relaxed as he closed his eyes, nudging into the warmth of Haru’s palms.

‘I love you’ were the words Haru wouldn’t (couldn’t) say, and they both knew it. They knew it just about as much as they knew how much Haru loved Makoto. A silent love. A little whisper that wasn’t quite as bold as anyone else’s love. Haru sighed. “You are my most important person. I'd be lost without you.”

Makoto laughed a hitched little sound. Then he looked at Haru in the eyes. “So you would never leave me, right?”

Haru didn’t answer right away. But when he did, it was not the answer Makoto was expecting.

“You’ll find me again, Makoto.”

* * *

(Oh, damn these walls

in the moment we’re ten feet tall)

 

In some other morning, somewhere in the future where things did not change all that much, Haru laid a hand softly on Makoto’s cheek. Makoto opened his eyes slowly with a smile.

“Good morning, Haru.”

“Hmm,” Haru hummed in respond. “What would you like for breakfast? Mackerel? With miso soup?”

Makoto laughed. “It’s okay, I will figure something out after. You’re going to be late.”

“Like I care. I know David told me to meet him at the airport at eight when the flight is actually at ten because he thought I was going to be late. That sly raccoon is almost as bad as Rin.”

“It’s important to be on time.”

“But you’re more important. Now tell me: what do you want for breakfast?”

Makoto considered his option for a second. He almost replied with ‘toast and coffee’, but changed his mind. He would allow himself to be spoiled by Haru this morning.

“Mackerel and miso soup sounds great, Haru.”

* * *

(And how you told me after it all…)

 

After breakfast was eaten, dishes left soaking in the sink, and Haru’s last bag was in his hand, Makoto opened the door of their apartment slightly. He waited until Haru arrived by himself, watched him struggled with the bags, but refused to help despite the guilty little voice telling him in his head that he was being childish.

Whatever. He wanted to keep Haru with him as long as possible. Was that too much to ask for?

Haru, seeming to sense that thought, smiled gently.

“I will be back before you start loving mackerel again.”

“You’re going away for a long time, Haru.” Makoto turned his face down, looking at the floor. “What if…”

“Don’t worry, Makoto. After it all… I will always come back.”

The door opened with a kick of Haru’s. The clock ticked to eight thirty in the kitchen. Then, with a soft smile, Haru was out the door.

“Have a good trip, Haru-chan.”

“Drop the -chan.”

* * *

(We’d remember tonight)

 

Once he and Haru were separated by the thin wall of their apartment, Makoto walked back to the kitchen and stared at the dirty dishes in the sink. The morning was quiet. Only him, the clock, the sound of dripping water… and… oh God.

Haru was not here.

The clock ticked to eight forty-two, and Makoto sank to his knee. He hit the kitchen floor rather hard but didn’t pay it any attention. The hollowness he felt in his chest was much more hurtful than this.

Tears began to stream down his face so violently that Makoto’s body was shaking. He put a hand around his mouth to muffle the sobs that were wrecking through his hunched over body, but it did nothing to help his cause. Haru was gone. He was with someone else for a _‘better opportunity to explore his talents’_ in Australia. He wasn’t coming back in the afternoon like usual. When Makoto came home, it would be empty.

Makoto looked up, but everywhere he searched, he couldn’t find a trace of Haru. He had taken almost everything with him, except for a dolphin doll that was left on the stand. The one that Makoto gave to Haru when they were younger. Haru always insisted that Makoto take it back. Seemed like he was dead serious about it.

Makoto sobbed harder, tears dropping quietly to the floor, blurring his vision.

After a long while, he stopped and rubbed his eyes.

How was he going to find Haru again if he couldn’t even see clearly?

* * *

(For the rest of our lives)

 

The train was speeding through the city until it was only a blur, but Haru didn’t care. After a moment of sitting by himself on the mostly empty expressed train to the airport, Haru threw his head back and closed his eyes, searching for a memory he wanted to see the most in the moment.

Ah… there it was. Makoto staring at him. A trillion stars falling all around. Messy brown hair. Drooping green eyes. Red cheeks. Glassy eyes. A smile.

Tears sprung to Haru’s eyes, but he swallowed it all. He wasn’t going to cry. No. He wasn’t going to forget.

He would remember that night for the rest of his life. He would always remember where he belonged. Because in the end, despite it taking him away from his beloved now, his wings would always bring him home.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> A night before prom and I'm writing makoharu. One point for the inner weeb inside me.  
> Please me know how I did.


End file.
